As soon as Qin's mom returned home, Qin's dad couldn't wait to approach her.
"How is it, did the two kids get closer? Did they do anything together?"
But Qin's mom didn't answer him; she put her things down and sat on the sofa, letting out a long sigh.
Seeing the situation wasn't right, Qin's dad asked, "What's going on...?"
"I didn't see Yueyue," Qin's mom said, "She has been sleeping all day."
Qin's dad was taken aback: "Didn't you go in the morning?"
"Yeah."
"Then didn't you just come back?"
"That's right."
"Then she... hasn't gotten up at all?" Qin's dad was shocked.
Qin's mom continued to sigh: "She's too exhausted, catching up on sleep, hasn't gotten up at all."
Qin's dad scratched his head: "What about Xin?"
"Xin is listless; I heard she studied all night and didn't sleep well."
She loves studying too much.
"Didn't you talk to her in detail?" Qin's dad asked, "Ask her how things have been with Yueyue these past two days?"
Qin's mom continued to sigh: "They haven't had time to spend together because Yueyue is very busy."
Qin's dad was truly confused this time: "Isn't Yueyue on vacation?"
"Yeah."
"Then why is she still so busy on vacation, busy enough to work overnight, without even time to talk to her sister?"
Qin's mom didn't answer that question but instead brought up another matter: "Do you remember when Yueyue got hurt?"
Qin's dad was stunned again: "Hurt... emotionally?"
"Right, do you remember that?"
"Of course I remember; it's the first time Yueyue has faced setbacks in all these years, how could I forget?" As soon as this was mentioned, Qin's dad smiled, "That little girl is quite capable; I just don't know what she looks like."
Qin's mom rolled her eyes: "Very pretty, and her figure is great. She looks a bit young, but her development is quite impressive. Most importantly, she exudes a kind of... indescribable aura."
Qin's dad was a bit confused: "But why do you know so much?"
"Because Yueyue brought her home, and I had to take care of her."
Qin's dad's face turned red: "You mean... that kind of care?"
"Yes."
"But didn't you just say she's usually very busy, not even getting enough sleep at night?"
"Right, that's the key," Qin's mom said expressionlessly, "That's what Yueyue is usually busy with."
Those times that should have been used to cultivate sisterly feelings, those times that should have been used for sleeping and resting.
All went to Bai Ningning.
"This..." Qin's dad leaned back in shock, "Then... what to do?"
"I don't know; I'll go again in a few days," Qin's mom said, "First, I need to see her, then talk to her."
......
Meanwhile, Aunt Zou returned after dropping someone off and saw the second young lady sleeping on Bai Ningning's lap, her heart skipped a beat.
"Ningning, what are you doing?"
Bai Ningning raised her finger: "Shh, be quiet, Qin Xin is sleeping."
So, isn't this the problem? She's sleeping on your lap, on your lap!
Aunt Zou felt something was off with the second young lady yesterday.
Today, for no apparent reason, I felt down, saying that I was exhausted from studying all night. Such an absurd excuse is something only the lady would believe.
"Aunt Zou," Ningning said in a low voice, "I think you need to be a bit more restrained regarding the second young lady."
Her voice was very soft, both to avoid waking the second young lady and to prevent the eldest young lady from hearing.
Fortunately, Qin Yue was sleeping soundly and couldn't hear the sounds from the living room.
Bai Ningning was confused: "Restrained?"
What does that mean?
"It means, Miss Ningning, you are the eldest young lady," Aunt Zou said, "For the second young lady, you should be considered a sister-in-law type of role."
Bai Ningning tilted her head: "So what?"
"A sister-in-law letting her younger sister sleep on her lap," Aunt Zou's expression was complicated, "is not very proper."
It's really not proper at all.
But Bai Ningning didn't care: "It's fine, Aunt Zou. Qin Xin is different from Yueyue; she's a normal girl. It's common for girls to do these things together, so there's no need to worry."
Aunt Zou's eyelids twitched wildly, thinking that while normal girls don't need to worry, is the second young lady really a normal girl?
Would a normal girl eavesdrop on her sister and sister-in-law being affectionate? Would she stay up all night for strange reasons? Would she lie on the sofa all day and not sleep well, but immediately fall sweetly asleep on her sister-in-law's lap?
Someone is not normal, but Aunt Zou didn't dare to say who.
She could only hint delicately to Bai Ningning: "Miss Ningning, the second young lady has had trouble sleeping from last night until evening. Why does she sleep so soundly on your lap? There must be a reason."
"I know," Bai Ningning said matter-of-factly, "because my lap is soft and comfortable."
That's right, the Qin family relies on me to carry them.
Aunt Zou was speechless for a long time and finally let out a long sigh.
Forget it, let's leave it at that for now. I'll observe more closely later; maybe I'm just overthinking it.
After this little episode, the youth in the living room became sweet again. Until half an hour later, Qin Xin woke up from her beautiful dream.
"How was your sleep, Qin Xin?" Bai Ningning asked her softly, "Did you sleep well?"
Qin Xin didn't rush to get up from Bai Ningning's lap; she buried her head in the softness and took a deep breath.
So fragrant, so sweet, just like the dream she had earlier.
"I slept very well," Qin Xin reluctantly got up, "Thank you, senior."
She controlled her expression very well, looking completely normal, making it hard for anyone to find fault.
Seeing this, Bai Ningning felt relieved, thinking that her junior sister was indeed a normal girl; she slept on her lap without blushing or racing heart, simply feeling comfortable.
"It's getting late; you should go back to your room and sleep," she said casually, "You have to go back to school tomorrow."
"...Mm."
Qin Xin returned to her little room and lay down, feeling a surge of emotions.
These past few days, she had felt pain, soreness, and hurt, beyond measure, as if she had fallen into the depths of despair. But in that despair, she grasped the only hope—
To hide herself in this family, to be a girl who appears to have a normal sexual orientation. Not only could she blend into life and wait for opportunities, but she could also enjoy the benefits inadvertently given by her senior, just like today's lap pillow.
The girl closed her eyes, a slight smile on her lips.
Good days are becoming more promising.
Zzzz
In the other bedroom, Bai Ningning crawled into bed, noticing that Qin Yue still hadn't woken up, only turning over symbolically.
It seems she won't be getting up until at least tomorrow, the overworked big sister.
Speaking of which, this weekend has been quite nice; not only did I significantly improve my communication skills, but I also provided lap pillow service to my big sister's younger sister, which helped to harmonize family relations.
I really worked hard for myself.
Bai Ningning lay on her side, facing Qin Yue, and made a gesture with her lips.
Good night, big sister.
Zzzz